Self-bonded corrugated fibrous web

Abstract

A self-bonded corrugated web made from a primary pre-bonded web layer of thermoplastic fibers having a substantially uniform thickness. The primary pre-bonded web layer is arranged to form corrugations forming a corrugation pattern of parallel corrugation lines, which can be parallel to the longitudinal extension of the web. The corrugated web is heat- or melt-fusion bonded in regions forming a primary bonding pattern of a plurality of primary bonding pattern lines, which are arranged non-parallel to the corrugation lines and which intersect at least two of the corrugation lines, for stabilizing the corrugations.

1. A self-bonded corrugated web comprising a primary pre-bonded web layer of thermoplastic fibers having a substantially uniform thickness in a z direction and having a CD orientation and a MD orientation, the primary pre-bonded web arranged to form corrugations oriented in a corrugation pattern of parallel corrugation lines wherein said corrugations lines are essentially parallel to the MD orientation of said web layer, the corrugated web includes a primary bonding pattern of heat- or melt-fusion bonded regions forming a plurality of first primary bonding pattern continuous lines and second primary bonding pattern continuous lines, the first primary bonding pattern continuous lines are parallel to each other and the second primary bonding pattern continuous lines are parallel to each other, the first primary bonding pattern continuous lines are non-parallel to the second primary bonding pattern continuous lines, the first primary bonding pattern continuous lines and the second primary bonding pattern continuous lines are arranged non-parallel to the corrugation lines, the first and second primary bonding pattern continuous lines intersect at least two of the corrugation lines for stabilizing the corrugations of the corrugated web and wherein the continuous lines of said first primary bonding pattern intersect the continuous lines of said second primary bonding pattern, wherein said first and second primary bonding pattern continuous lines form regions of corrugations that are unbonded by said primary bonding pattern. 
     
     
       2. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the corrugation lines of the corrugation pattern is connected to at least one neighboring corrugation line by at least one primary bonding pattern line. 
     
     
       3. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein the regions unbonded by the primary pattern contain at least 3 corrugations. 
     
     
       4. A corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein regions unbonded by the primary pattern contain less than 20 corrugations. 
     
     
       5. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein the primary bonding pattern lines are continuous straight lines. 
     
     
       6. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein the primary bonding pattern further comprises a secondary bonding pattern comprising a plurality of bonding points. 
     
     
       7. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein the web exhibits a low pressure loft of at least 18 [μm/(g/m 2 )]. 
     
     
       8. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein the corrugated web exhibits a high pressure loft of at least 11 [μm/(g/m 2 )]. 
     
     
       9. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein the bonding is patterned embossing. 
     
     
       10. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 1 , wherein the corrugations are deformed in the region of the primary bonding pattern so as to form overlaying layers of the primary web which are bonded to each other. 
     
     
       11. A self-bonded corrugated web having a primary pre-bonded web layer of thermoplastic fibers having a substantially uniform thickness in a z direction and having a CD orientation and a MD orientation, the primary pre-bonded web arranged to form corrugations oriented in a corrugation pattern of parallel corrugation lines wherein said corrugations lines are essentially parallel to the MD orientation of said web layer, the corrugated web comprising:
 a primary bonding pattern of heat- or melt-fusion bonded regions forming a plurality of first primary bonding pattern lines and second primary bonding pattern lines, wherein said first primary bonding pattern lines are parallel to each other and said second primary bonding pattern lines are parallel to each other, wherein said first primary bonding pattern lines are non-parallel to said second primary bonding pattern lines, wherein said first primary bonding pattern lines and said second primary bonding pattern lines are arranged non-parallel to said corrugation lines, and wherein said first and second primary bonding pattern lines are solid continuous lines that intersect at least 3 corrugations and wherein the continuous lines of said first primary bonding pattern intersect the continuous lines of said second primary bonding pattern, wherein said first and second primary bonding pattern continuous lines form regions of corrugations that are not bonded by said primary bonding pattern, wherein said regions contain at least three corrugation lines. 
 
     
     
       12. A self bonded corrugated web according to  claim 11 , wherein said thermoplastic fibers have a length from about 0.3 to about 7.5 cm.